Weird shad numbers

skyriver

skyriver

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I'm headed for my annual shad & carp adventure in the gorge and I don't think I've ever seen this-
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I have fun with shad, but I'm completely ok with fewer shad. Just hope it's not a pre-cursor for any bad salmon & steelhead returns. Spring kings weren't great and lamprey and sockeye definitely starting out lower than normal.
 
I don't know if shad are weather dependent but we've had unseasonably cold and wet weather out here this past week. Warming up this weekend...

Haven't checked if that cool weather affected the C flows either. Maybe they slowed it down since they didn't need AC energy yet?
 
Flows have stayed pretty steady, but lower than normal. Warmer than normal.

2022 was high water. From my notes-
2022 (June 21 & 22) water level was between 81.80 ft and 82.77 ft at The Dalles
Flow was over 350k.
This year, like the last couple, is only 200k right now (when it should actually be higher than 6/21 & 22) and level at 77 ft.
Also huge diff in temps.
2022 (June 21 & 22 water temp at John Day Cliff was between 56.84 and 57.56 deg F
We're already at 61 right now.

2022 was the best shad catching year I've ever had. Not even close. Bigger, colder flows have always meant better shad catching in my experience. So even when there's millions of fish, when it gets over 60 catching sucks. So I go carpin.
Of course, some of my favorite carp spots need good water levels. So far we're good this year for that. I'm fishing Friday-Sunday so we'll see if the levels hang in there.
 
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Weird indeed. Seems unlikely something would suppress the total return by roughly an order of magnitude. AND, compress it into a single spike vs something resembling a normal bell curve... Or maybe I spend too much time looking at process control charts. :rolleyes:
 
This might actually be the first year in as long as I can remember where shad fishing just didn't happen for me.
 
fuck them shad....

a continued look at their numbers and effects on salmonids are showing that their presence isnt good for the fish that should be there...namely their biomass providing food for predators in the gap between salmon and steelhead runs
 
Millsfly said:
fuck them shad....

a continued look at their numbers and effects on salmonids are showing that their presence isnt good for the fish that should be there...namely their biomass providing food for predators in the gap between salmon and steelhead runs
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Shad are certainly fun, but I'd trade 100% of them for more salmonids.
 
I'm planning to go to Bonneville this Saturday with my son, nephew, bro-in-law. Hopefully the numbers will be good for my son to get a lot of tugs. We will be fishing spin gears, I doubt it's worth the trouble to bring a fly rod with the crowd and rock slope behind?
 
Kfish said:
I'm planning to go to Bonneville this Saturday with my son, nephew, bro-in-law. Hopefully the numbers will be good for my son to get a lot of tugs. We will be fishing spin gears, I doubt it's worth the trouble to bring a fly rod with the crowd and rock slope behind?
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Better to have it and not need it :cool:
 
I wonder if the white liquor spill from Longview had an effect on the Shad return numbers?
 
Burt Dagger said:
Better to have it and not need it :cool:
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Kfish said:
I'm planning to go to Bonneville this Saturday with my son, nephew, bro-in-law. Hopefully the numbers will be good for my son to get a lot of tugs. We will be fishing spin gears, I doubt it's worth the trouble to bring a fly rod with the crowd and rock slope behind?
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WA side has a lot more back cast room but the fish tend to be further out. You need a VERY fast sinking line. Oregon side (from the island), fish are in closer but you need to be very good at shooting line out from a roll cast.

Been a very long time since I've fished either from the bank, but fly rods are do-able if you're prepared and capable.
 
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